2016 Volume 25 Issue 2 Pages 1-11
The purpose of this study is to unveil the process of judgment and care provided by nurses in situations in which patients with chronic schizophrenia request ‘as required’ medication. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 psychiatric nurses of five or more years' experience, followed by an inductive analysis.
The results of the study showed that the nurses go through the following process: Assessment of the degree of urgency based on the observation of difference from the usual situation and comparison with past experiences; assessment of the necessity of ‘as required’ medication based on the information collected for making a decision by hearing the patient's complaint and assessment of the adequacy of the administration; judgment and care as to whether to provide ‘as required’ medication; and continuous observation and assessment of the patient's condition.
This process reflects the combined effect of nursing staff factors and environmental factors. Nursing staff factors include nurse's sense of values and convictions, relationship with patients, and emotional state. Environmental factors include the ward situation at that time, customs of the ward, and consensus among the nursing team.
